Sabah PH will only decide on partnership after state assembly dissolve next year

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Pakatan Harapan will only decide on the possible collaboration after the state assembly is dissolved.

The state chairman Datuk Christina Liew said for now every party is their potential partner. “We will look at different factors when we decide who will be our political partners when the time comes. When the assembly is dissolved next year, then we will sit down seriously and evaluate our situations and we will decide on that. “But right now, Pakatan Harapan is in the unity government and naturally we work with all the unity government component parties,” she said, adding the coalition is not talking about cooperation with any party in Sabah for now. Liew, who is also state Tourism, Culture and Environment minister, told the media after witnessing the Memorandum of Understanding agreement between Sabah Tourism Board and AirAsia Group here. Sabah PH-Upko has seven elected representatives in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-led government. Last month, Liew was seen attending Tuaran Umno division meeting, where its president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid was present, raising the question whether Sabah PH might see potential collaboration with the peninsular-based party. She added that in the state cabinet, there is a deputy chief minister and several assistant ministers whose parties are Umno. “Right now, we have to work with the Unity Government's component party. So, the first priority is to work. We work together, no problem. “That's why I also work very hard pushing the tourism side, whether in tourism, sports, or in airlines.” Previously, GRS has stated that the 8-party coalition is comfortable to work with Sabah PH instead of other parties. Its deputy chairman Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan had also said despite the coalition wanting to have a state government backed by all local based parties leaders, they did not mind sharing the number of seats currently won by Sabah PH-Upko. However, Sabah DAP leader Chan Foong Hin had said that there should be renewal of political relationship between Pakatan and GRS on several aspects. Present was Sabah Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.